Christmas catch-up

Before February is completely over, I better throw up a few pictures from the fun trip we took to Colorado over Christmas. (someday I'll stop apologizing for the terrible photo-quality...but today's not that day--sorry!)

On our ten-hour drive to Denver, we had the promise of an "Ugly-Holiday-Sweater and Gourmet Hot Chocolate Party" to look forward to that evening. We arrived in time for all the festivities, lucky for us. It was a good time.





But that wasn't the only reason we came...the main motivation for every trip like this is of course: time with family. Cousins and grandparents, aunts and uncles...it was the best.











We had super-rockin' parties at my sister, Meredith's house, including a great one on Christmas Eve.













Christmas morning breakfast and presents!





Enjoying the snow and the mild temps--a great combination, and it seems to happen in CO quite a bit.









A boys day trip to Colorado Springs to visit the Garden of the Gods and Olympic Training Center.









And of course, much more undocumented fun...

We had the best time. Transporting Christmas is tricky, and traveling at all at that time of year can complicate an already busy season, but it worked out well. It was a blast. We LOVE having the option to drive to family gatherings. So great.

Feeling the love?

I think we're feeling it; I'm trying to feel it.





We've done/are doing a few fun things around here, to help us celebrate this LOVEly holiday...





...but the day got off to a rough start.

For breakfast I made a pink and purple smoothie in a new blender, and soon after I began pouring into cups, the bottom fell off the blender. Yeah. Apparently it wasn't screwed on properly--so I had beautiful strawberry/blueberry/spinach slush decorating my kitchen. Happy Valentine's Day to me! Oh well...life goes on. It was just a mess and a waste, but no real harm done. The rest of the day will no doubt be an improvement on that morning.

Sending lots of hugs and kisses to all!

Cinco in Mayo

In case the word hasn't been properly spread...this is the way my mid-section looks these days. Yep--24 weeks along with baby #5!



I am feeling great, and the whole family is excited...but Tessa probably gets the prize for "most enthusiastic" about the idea. I guess if we got to choose, we'd pick a boy--cuz we're a little short in that department. But to keep the anticipation factor high, we've opted again to not find out the gender. We came home from our ultrasound a few weeks ago with some cute pictures, and a sealed envelope courtesy of the technician...in case we change our minds.



It's tempting to peek, but we're staying strong. I have had a few offers from people to "hold onto" the envelope for us...but if we're not finding out--no one should, right??

Sorry everyone! But don't you just love a good surprise??

January

We're just plugging along here...hibernating when the temps are too low, nibbling/chipping away at our gingerbread house, getting used to writing "2012," all that good January stuff.





One thing we haven't had much of is snow. My kids are wishing for a nice white play land throughout the neighborhood; it hasn't happened so far. BUT, if you ever wanted to make an alien snowman craft, check out these...



We made these at an art/craft class I co-teach at the YMCA. The idea I was trying to copy looked cute online, but when they were done I thought they were quite hilarious-looking. Oh well. Happy January!!

It's the holiday season

I really don't know how anyone manages to blog during the month of December. I feel so swamped with...everything, involved in preparing for Christmas.

It is all great, it really is. I LOVE this time of year, but there is just so much to do. I'd love to document all of it, but I just can't fit that in right now--I think it's more important that I just live it. And that's probably okay because most of the happenings are about the same as they are every year--lots of good stuff, but not really new stuff.

But I do love having a record of this life that I'm living, so I'll just jot down a few tidbits:

1. Today we did a ton of baking all at once, to try to create enough goods for goodie plates to deliver this evening. And my kids (well, the older kids) were a huge help! Is the day finally here when my kids contribute to, more than they are a detriment to, a project? So cool. I didn't touch the rolling pin or cookie cutters, and yet pan after pan of beautiful sugar cookies came out of the oven. Thanks, Tyler and Tessa. They helped with lots of things, and were even quite handy at maneuvering and twisting the candy cane cookie dough this year. Amazing. It made the whole process happen much more quickly, and the kids loved being so involved. They felt important being an integral part of the "cookie factory."

And I loved hearing, "Hey, Mom, do you like the face I frosted on this snowman?" So sweet innocent...this from my 10-year-old son, who was either too cool or too grumpy to sing the hymns in church today. But he was certainly engaged in our family kitchen endeavors, and that was encouraging. It was a happy and productive afternoon. (of course it didn't hurt that my darling, treat-tasting two-year-old was taking a nap for most of the baking party; and I didn't even attempt the really delicate baking items...but still, this isn't bad for an afternoon's work)



2. Autumn decor doesn't always have to be thrown out when the evergreenery moves in. I liked the gnarly shapes of the gourds in my front porch pots through the fall and didn't want to part with them yet. So I painted them red and white a few weeks ago, which gave them permission to stay and blend with the winter decor.





3. If you want to make sure you slow down and enjoy the Christmas Spirit during the season, sing about it. I joined my church (Stake) choir that was formed to learn & perform songs just for the Christmas concert, and it was great to be a part of. I loved spending 1.5 hours each Sunday evening singing tender songs about our Savior. When it came time to perform, I was so touched by the song we sang about making room for the Christ child in our hearts, that I could hardly get through it. I am grateful I had this opportunity.

I do love Christmas. I hope I can survive all the fun.

Merry, merry Christmas to everyone!

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving is a great holiday--time off work and school, lots of good food and family, no worries about gift-giving...yet it opens the door for the magical Christmas season.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving week. My sister Melayna came to visit and my kids hardly left her alone from sun up to sun down. She cares about them so much, and they love her back for it.

We did a few fun things with her in downtown Des Moines--the Festival of Trees, the Botanical Center, and "Disney on Ice," which was a special treat for the girls (Tyler graciously bowed out of that princessy event).






...a funny picture, but a fun memory.

The rest of the time we really just hung out at home. Luckily Tessa helped liven things with a Talent Show she concocted. We learned about it for weeks before with signs plastered around the house announcing try-outs, etc.





Sadly, Melayna and I did not make it into the final four--I guess my rendition of the Macarena just didn't "wow" the judge. Ansley's dance moves probably were more entertaining and original. But I can't understand why Melayna's expert piano performance of Christmas songs didn't make the cut. Anyway, it was fun for all...

The other thing that makes Thanksgiving great is the element of tradition. There is something special about repeating holiday festivities year after year. I felt a sense of satisfaction as Tyler went crazy over the cranberry-apple pie we made, more this year than before. That pie was a holiday must when I was growing up, and it feels good to have my kids adopt those same favorites. Tom hasn't taken as well to the tartness of it...yet, so it was fun to have Tyler love it as much as I do. He had like 3 slices!



I have so much to be thankful for. I need holidays like this to force me to remember just how blessed I am. I'm forgetful like that.

One last look at Fall

A few of the fall-ish things we did this year:

Pumpkin patch with hayride, corn box, pedal cars and pumpkin cannon...













Pumpkins carved and apples bobbed for...







Pumpkin harvesting--about 10 of the small pie variety; then came ripping out their vines...those sprawling monsters will take over a flower bed.





And then it felt like Fall came abruptly to an end this week as we woke to 5 inches of snow one morning. I am okay with it--first snow in mid-November seems reasonable. But my kids were ecstatic. Still in my bed at 7am I heard, "Mom, where are my snow pants?" And soon after Tyler, Tessa, and Eden were fully bundled and out boarding and sledding down the backyard hill. I couldn't believe they were so anxious that they had to get in a few runs before school. I always appreciate and envy the zest for life that kids have.